The Little Nutty Ladybug and the Little Nutty Bumblebee are two of our most popular helmets for young children.

Of course, the kind of kids that love the Little Nutty Bumblebee and Ladybug aren’t thinking about popularity – they are thinking about hopping on a push bike, a scooter or the back of a parent’s bike for a ride.

 

It’s the bold and simple graphics of the Little Nutty Ladybug and Little Nutty Bumblebee that catch kids’ eyes. And sometimes, that lovely fascination with the animal kingdom that kids are just discovering.

“I picked the Bumblebee because I like to ride around and pretend I’m a nice honey bee,” says Iris, four. “I don’t like yellow jackets, only the nice honey bees. They make me laugh.”

Nutcase founder Michael Morrow said the Ladybug is a worldwide favorite that helped him realize the ambition of using the helmet’s front air vents as eyes.

“I have always loved the idea that our front vent holes look like eyes!” said Michael. “We finally had the opportunity to design our helmet in a way that incorporates the eyes idea with a thematic concept that I also love, because I’m such a kid, and that means BUGS!”

Behind the catchy graphics we try to continually innovate with features that improve the safety and the comfort of the helmet.

We're in Gen3 of the Little Nutty helmets, and we've listened to parents about what works for childrens' helmets. The biggest winning feature is the Fidlock no-pinch buckle, which keeps kids' tender skin from getting caught in between buckle and clasp.

The Fidlock is an ingenious system - it slides together smoothly or clicks into place when the magnets snap together, and the secondary latching system keeps the buckle secure so it can't come undone during movement. In addition, Fidlock allows kids to be more independent with their helmet, as it is an easy lock/unlock for young (and old) hands.

We also added a comfy chin pad that keeps any excess strap from chafing tender skin.

The Spin-Dial rounds out the fab features of the Little Nutty. The Spin-Dial allows for a parent to achieve a snug and proper fit for the child. After placing the Little Nutty directly on top of a child's head, so that the 'Nutcase' emblem sits just above the middle of a child's forehead, twisting the Spin-Dial until the helmet is stationary means it won't move around while in motion.

(Of course, this is sometimes easier said than done with a child, once the straps are adjusted to the right length, they may be able to do their own Spin-Dial adjustments.)

Just like our Street helmets, we also innovated the polystyrene liner of the Little Nutty, creating weight-reducing channels that also introduce more energy-absorbing pockets into it.

For more on Nutcase helmet safety, see our latest review by Stiftung Warentest and a description of the Gen3 crumple zone here.